This invention relates to an aqueous surfactant-containing composition for cleaning hard surfaces, particularly tableware.
After manual moist or wet cleaning of hard surfaces in the home and in the institutional sector with a water-based surfactant-containing solution, the moist or wet hard surfaces are either simply left to dry or are dried in an additional step, normally with an absorbent cloth. Leaving the surfaces to dry is less labor-intensive, but lasts longer and, in the case of shining (mirroring reflective) hard surfaces, for example of glass, china, ceramic, plastic or metal, regularly leads to the formation of unwanted visible residues, such as stains (water stains) or streaks, and to a loss of shine, i.e. a dull appearance. This applies in particular to the manual cleaning of tableware, more particularly glasses and other items of glass tableware, when the tableware is first cleaned in a wash liquor—an aqueous solution of a surfactant-containing detergent, normally at an elevated temperature of, for example, about 45° C.—and is then left to dry in air, i.e. is not dried off with an absorbent cloth. When a cleaned glass or plate is removed from the wash liquor, the wash liquor is first poured out or off and the glass or plate is left on a draining board to dry. The layer of wash liquor remaining on the surface of the glass or plate drains off slowly until, finally, it becomes so thin that it no longer drains off, but only diminishes by (self) drying. Drying also takes place during drainage.
International patent application WO 96/18717 A1 (Colgate-Palmolive Company) discloses a skin-friendly liquid water-based cleaning composition for hard surfaces in the form of a clear microemulsion which effectively removes fatty and bath soil, leaves a sparkling appearance behind on unrinsed surfaces and contains 14 to 24% by weight of an alkali metal salt of a C12-18 paraffin sulfonate, 2 to 6% by weight of an alkali metal salt of an ethoxylated C12-18 alkyl ether sulfate and 2 to 8% by weight of a betaine surfactant and a nonionic surfactant, at least one solubilizer, a co-surfactant and a water-insoluble hydrocarbon, a perfume or an essential oil. A disadvantage of such compositions is their unfavorable drying behavior.
Accordingly, there was a need to provide quick-drying, surfactant-containing compositions for cleaning hard surfaces which would show improved drying and shine behavior.